Heading to the bar down the street from my flat I order my usual, a triple shot of whiskey. Once I’m three orders in I feel someone put their hand on my shoulder. Turning around I’m met with the friendly face of Harry Potter.

“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do.” I slur out indicating to the seat next to me.

“From what I’ve been told, it’s you that has a lot of explaining to do. You disappear during one of your final interviews, reveal new information and you’ve managed to worry Malfoy more than I’ve ever seen him worried about something. Which is why I’m here, he got ahold of me and I told him I’d find you. He’s still at your flat by the way, your interview isn’t done.” He says sitting beside me and looking at me as if I was a child that’d just stolen a lollipop.

“I don’t open up to people, especially Ministry officials. I don’t know why I told him any of that, I hadn’t told anyone that. It was like I had word vomit, Potter. I couldn’t stop talking once I’d stopped, I suppose I’ll go back on trial now seeing as the truth has finally come out.” I say staring at the empty glass in front of me.

“You’re not going back on trial, Alyona. Do you even know what happened at your trial? Looking at you was like looking at someone who’d already received the Dementor’s kiss. Do you even know who spoke in your favor and fought for you?” Potter says nudging me slightly before continuing, “I for one spoke on your behalf along with Malfoy who was at the time a recently acquitted Death Eater. He’d been present at more than one of the instances of your torture and your mother’s. He’s the reason that the Ministry couldn’t put you in Azkaban or give you the kiss. You were a young woman who had been taught from a very young age to do what your father said or you’d have the cruciatus curse used against you. Voldemort had used the love you had for your mother to force you to do what he wanted, he didn’t have to use the Imperius Curse on you because he’d threatened your mother’s life. He’d also threatened someone else’s life because your Occlumency skills are way below par for an ex-Deatheater and he knew how you felt about Malfoy.” Harry says matter-of-factly.

Flabbergasted I just stare at the ex-Gryffindor, then decide to glare at him. “How did you know that last bit? Did I tell you that? My Occlumency skills do suck, I’ve had the cruciatus curse used on me countless times because of it, one of father’s lessons, but I could never focus enough for his liking. Even whilst he was in Azkaban I was receiving “lessons”. Every summer I was forced to meet with some other Deatheater and I had Occlumency lessons. One summer they were at the Malfoy’s ya know?” I started staring directly at Potter as I spoke, “Draco had saved me from more than one Cruciatus curse that summer. He used to cause some problem outside of the study which would take his father’s attention off me. Draco took the punishment for me as I was always excused for the rest of the day when he’d save me from the punishment I had been due to receive. Do you think he knew Potter? He’s good at Legilimens , he could’ve been in my head and I never would’ve even known it.”

“Well now Alyona, there’s only way to find out now isn’t there. And you told me this one night when you were drunkenly participating in your interview. Kind of like tonight.” He smiles down at me and helps me off the stool taking my arm and slinging it over his muscled shoulders.

“Ya know, Ginny’s a lucky lady, you’re much too kind to me.” I say throwing money on the bar and walking out into the cool night air back towards my apartment. My stomach was in knots the entire way, but as I looked up towards my window I noticed there weren’t any lights on, so I was hoping that he’d left and would be back tomorrow.

Harry just took me to my door choosing to be silent and only laughing at me once when I couldn’t quite manage to get my key in it’s rightful place. I had however punched him halfheartedly in the stomach when he’d done it, which made him laugh more as I didn’t have it in me to actually hurt him. Saying goodbye to him I went into my apartment and saw that the light in my kitchen was on but I couldn’t hear anything coming from there. I checked the living room and found him sleeping on my couch, not having the heart to wake him up I went and got a blanket for him and placed it gently on his sleeping form.

As I left the living room and started to walk back towards my bedroom, he woke up.

“Aly? Is that you?” I hear groggily behind me.

Sighing slightly I turn back around to see him sitting up and looking over the back of my couch, “Yes, it’s me, I just needed to clear my head, Potter found me. We can finish this interview stuff tomorrow, just go back to sleep Draco, although that couch isn’t exactly the most comfortable thing so if you want you can share my bed. And I mean actually sleep, I’m not trying to seduce you or anything, you’re just much too tall for that couch.” I slur out and walk away towards my room where I quickly get changed into a big baggy t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

He comes in, still fully dressed in his expensive suit and stands awkwardly in the doorway.

Quirking my eyebrow at him I speak, “Do you want a pair of shorts? I think I have an old pair of some of Alec’s somewhere in here.”

He nods but still doesn’t speak, shrugging off his weirdness I dig through all my drawers just throwing the clothes out as I go and creating a giant mess all around me until I find a pair of black and toss them right at his head. “The bathroom’s down the hall and to your left.” I say as I crawl into my bed and turn off the light.

Shortly, after I hear him come back in and get in the bed beside me still not saying a word to me, so I turn over so my back is to him and I hear him sigh heavily behind me. I pretend like I’m asleep so I don’t have to talk and in about twenty minutes I’m dead to the world in a dreamless sleep.